This baby has gone from sedentary and sleeping (I thought her and Mr. P had so much in common already 😉 ) to a gymnast overnight. I was sure I felt these “flutters” people speak of around 19 weeks. I was sitting in a meeting, just typing away and BAM. I felt flutters. It had to be the baby moving. A week and then two…and then three pass by and I felt no additional movement. Of course my next OB appointment was still nearly a week away yet, and my mind started to run through all the possibilities of what’s going on in there.
None of which are good, naturally.
And then this week came along. Week 24 as of today (60% baked!).
This baby girl is sooo active all of a sudden. Or she’s had one huge growth spurt in the past week, who knows. But I’m enjoying it. Except we’ve gone from the “flutters” I once felt weeks ago to a battle ground in my uterus. I laugh sometimes at how hard the little kicks or punches really are. Even the midwife on Wednesday couldn’t believe how hard the jab was when she had the doppler on my belly.
“Whoa,” she said. “You felt that, right?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “It feels like gas or just straight up violence!” She laughed and agreed.
I was also given the green light for some light run/walk action this past week. Her only stipulation was that my HR not go over 150 bpm and I stay very well hydrated. As someone who has never consistently worn a heart rate monitor (and now pants after walking up a flight of stairs, especially after no intense exercise for the past 5 1/2 months), I wanted to test out my HR with running ASAP.
Of course, I couldn’t “jog” more than 60 seconds at a 5.0 mph pace without my HR exceeding 150, soooo…I’m stuck with more of a walk, as it ends up. Such a tease…such a tease.
It’s kind of like serving a tomato without mozzarella, or worse yet, a salad with no cheese whatsoever. Cheese lovers understand…cholesterol levels do not. Regardless, caprese is not caprese without fresh mozzarella. And let’s add to that list basil. The balsamic vinegar and avocado (baby brain food!) are just perks. No tease in this salad, it has it all…including the chicken to consider this salad a meal, in the words of Mr. P.
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz boneless,skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 small hearts of romaine, chopped
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, diced
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chiffonade
- To make the balsamic reduction, whisk together the vinegar and brown sugar in a small sauce pan and set over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, cooking 3-4 minutes per side, cooking through. Remove chicken from heat and transfer to a cutting board. Allow chicken to sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado and basil. Pour balsamic reduction on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.
TGIF!! 😀
Be well,
I seriously want to make ALL things into caprese…and I adore avocados and meal salads. I am ALL over this! Pinned!
I love your comparison to a salad without cheese. What a waste! This salad is totally my kind of salad, with the avocado and cheese and tomato. Love it! Also, so exciting that little baby girl is so active! Exciting, but also weird when you see a giant elbow sticking out of your belly! 🙂
i love how you have turned it into a substantial looking salad…im so excited for little prevention rd 🙂
This looks perfect for summer!